If it seems as though Majority Leader Harry Reid is always threatening his fellow senators that they’ll be working on the weekend (not to be confused with working for the weekend), that’s because he is.

Our friends at the Sunlight Foundation helped us crunch the numbers, and Reid has said “weekend” on the Senate floor close to 300 times since 1996 and 30 times this session. He’s used the word more than any other member of Congress.

Al Kamen, an award-winning columnist on the national staff of The Washington Post, created the “In the Loop” column in 1993. View Archive

As Congress heads out for its five-week recess (without a whole lot to brag about back home), Reid told senators Thursday to expect to work much harder when they return in September for two weeks and two days before leaving again to campaign.

“There’ll be no weekends off. There’s only two weekends until we go home, and everyone should not plan things on those weekends,” Reid said.

Undoubtedly, the 20 senators up for reelection already do have other plans.

But, much like a tactic that parents use with children (insert Congress-as-toddlers joke here), Reid’s threats have often been empty. The Senate hasn’t worked a single weekend day this year, Senate records show, and in 2013 it worked over just two weekends, both during the federal government shutdown.

But that hasn’t stopped Reid from raising the whip.

From the Congressional Record, as analyzed for the Loop by the Sunlight Foundation, here are just a few examples:

March 13, 2014: “Senators should be on notice — all senators — that there is a high probability that we need to be in session on the weekend of March 29 and 30, before the end of the month.”

June 13, 2013: “Everyone has had adequate warning, notice, that we are going to work next weekend.” (They didn’t.)

Background Check

Sally Jewell has been in her Cabinet position for more than a year, but how much do we really know about her? We know she was the chief executive of REI before becoming interior secretary, and before that she worked as an oil engineer for Mobil.

But what about the big stuff? Her hopes and dreams (other than climate-change legislation) and the really important questions, like her favorite foods? We learned, among other things, that the lover of the outdoors is not a huge TV watcher (not much of a surprise, there) — if she’s stuck inside, she’d much rather be cutting up jigsaw puzzles.

Which Cabinet secretary would you most like to (or do you) hang out with, and what would you do?

Sylvia Burwell. Besides being multifaceted (really . . . Office of Management and Budget and now Health and Human Services), we share a common connection to Seattle, an appreciation for good, wild salmon, and a commitment to connecting children to nature and the great outdoors.

What’s your favorite non-work-related Web site/blog/app/magazine?

National Geographic. Nat Geo takes me on an adventure every time I read it.

Fill in the blank: People would be surprised to know that I _____.

Cut jigsaw puzzles as a hobby. Picking up the skill from my father, learned from his aunt, who made a living during the Depression cutting diabolically difficult puzzles, it has been a fun family tradition. My son has now learned the skill, proposing to his new wife through a jigsaw puzzle — it took her three days to find the “marry me” message.

What’s your dream job (other than your current gig)?

While this is a great job, and leading REI was hard to beat, being a backcountry park ranger working with children would be great. My favorite office is the one with no walls.

What motivated you to go into public service?

The opportunity to make a difference and a strong belief in the power of the people. As a businessperson for over 35 years and an avid community volunteer, I came to appreciate that public investments, carried out by public servants at every level of government, are vital to our economy, our quality of life and our future on this planet we share.

Favorite TV show? Which character from that show do you most identify with?

Besides catching the nightly news while washing dishes, I don’t really watch TV. That makes me a lousy partner for Trivial Pursuit, unless the category is science and nature.

Favorite foods? (Either cuisine or specific dishes.)

My mother grew up in India, which has given me a lifelong appreciation for Indian food and curries. When I’m not dining at the “Bison Bistro” at Interior, I enjoy exploring the D.C. food-truck scene at lunch, which has some pretty reliable and tasty Indian choices.

What subject, other than your work, do you know most about? (Obviously, other than how to run a huge business.)

How to show people a really great time exploring nature and the outdoors. There is nothing like taking someone on their first climb, or hike, or sail, or paddle, and witnessing both a sense of accomplishment and wonder in what our natural world has to offer.

Fill in the blank: I’m scared of _____.

Growing cynicism and a retreat of the American people from investing in government at all levels. . . . We are now at a time when we can’t do more with less — we are compelled to do less with less, yet people still expect the same level of service. As a businessperson, I know that won’t work and that if we are to remain competitive in the world, thoughtful public investment will be critical.

What’s one word you wish people would use to describe you?

Authentic.

You can draft one person in the private sector to come work for the federal government. Who would it be, and what would you have them do?

Warren Buffett. He takes a long-term view and understands that having a private and public sector in balance benefits our economy and our future. I would have him work as a senior adviser to the president.

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